The present invention relates to medical devices for the retention of flexible tubes such as gastrostomy feeding tubes.
Various medical procedures result in the placement of flexible tubes within the body. While the distal end of such tubes remains implanted within the body, the proximal end extends outside of the body and must be retained.
For example, a gastrostomy (i.e., percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, surgically placed gastrostomy tube, or laparoscopically placed gastrostomy tube) is performed in order to place a gastrostomy or xe2x80x9cfeedingxe2x80x9d tube into a patient""s stomach. The patient is fed directly through the feeding tube via the proximal end of the tube, which extends from the patient""s body through a stoma site. This procedure is used for long-term feeding and to retain digestive functions of patients suffering from neurological disease, brain injury, or tumors and/or injuries of the head, neck, or esophagus, who thus have swallowing difficulties but otherwise have functioning gastrointestinal tracts.
Another type of medical tube placed within the body are drainage catheters, which are used in interventional radiology to drain fluids from an organ or body cavity. The proximal end of the catheter extends out of the body and typically has a plastic hub, which is attached and secured to the patient.
The proximal ends of tubes such as gastrostomy tubes and drainage catheters must be retained in a fixed position outside of the body to avoid movement into or out of the body and to provide support for feeding procedures and external manipulation. Furthermore, the ends must be closed to prevent the leakage of body fluids from these tubes. Conventional retention systems use multiple components and are cumbersome to use due to inefficient ergonomics. Moreover, conventional retention systems often do not provide sufficient retention strength.
The present invention includes medical devices for retaining an end of a medical tube. Each of the devices of the present invention comprises a base and at least one tab having a portion that is moveable within the base. The base comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one side cavity for receiving a tab, and an opening in at least one of the upper and lower surfaces. To facilitate tube retention, the tube is inserted through the opening in the base and the tab(s) is (are) moved within the cavity(ies) such that a portion of each tab contacts and retains the tube.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a medical device comprising a base and a first tab having a portion that is moveable within the base. The base includes a first locking base feature for engaging the first tab. The upper and lower surfaces of the base define a first side cavity between the upper and lower surfaces. The first tab has a portion that is movable within the first side cavity, a first locking tab feature that is engagable with the first locking base feature, and a first tube compression member extending from the distal end of the first tab. To facilitate tube retention, the tube is inserted through the opening in the base, the first tab is moved within the first side-cavity, and the first locking tab feature is engaged with the first locking base feature such that the tab is locked into the base and the first tube compression member contacts the tube.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the base includes a second side cavity between the upper and lower surfaces, and a second locking base feature. In this embodiment, the medical device includes a second tab having a portion that is movable within the second side cavity. The second tab includes a second locking tab feature that is engagable with the second locking base feature, and further includes a second tube compression member extending from the distal end of the second tab. To facilitate tube retention, the tube is inserted through the opening in the base, the first and second tabs are moved within the first and second side cavities, respectively, and the first and second locking tab features are engaged with the first and second locking base features, respectively, such that the tabs are locked into the base and the first and second tube compression members contact the tube.